Standing out in the CrowdWhether you’re a rookie warehouse operator, a mid-level transportation manager, or a veteran logistician, industry associations can help you make a name for yourself.Professional logistics and supply chain associations tout their benefits to potential members, focusing on how joining helps advance career development. But are the networking and educational advantages as great as the groups claim? That’s what Inbound Logistics asked six supply chain association members, and their collective answer was a resounding “Yes”! Among the benefits they reaped from signing up these card-carrying members listed: access to industry experts, opportunities to influence legislators, exposure to best-practice resources, and insight into logistics roles outside their own.Read on to discover why association membership is a good move!What better way to learn about new supply chain developments than to spend some time with fellow logisticians? This line of thinking makes networking one of the primary reasons to join a professional association.Not only do professional association members make widespread contacts throughout the logistics segment, they also connect with supply chains most influential players.In addition to the professional contacts they make, association members expand their industry knowledge both as it relates to their own jobs and logistics as a whole. Logistics professionals joining an association can find out the best practices of companies in different industries. These days what separates exceptional performers from average performers is the knowledge they can attain on the outside and bring back into their companies. Professional associations are great resources. With the changes in the transportation industry during the past two decades more people working in supply chain have backgrounds in finance, accounting, or sales. Many of them don’t have institutional supply chain knowledge, but as a member of an association, they can get up to date information, regulations and trends.Membership helps improve your professional image. It provides the opportunity to bring some value back to your company!It’s one thing to join an association pay dues, attend meetings, and pull what you can from it. It’s quite another to donate your own time to make the association a better one and ultimately help other members. Why are some members so willing to give of themselves? Because they find that they get back as much as they give. Contributing can be time-consuming, but if you help enough people achieve their goals, they will help you achieve your goals!Involvement in professional supply chain and logistics associations offers limitless career development opportunities for their many members.Shouldn’t you join the club?Taken and abbreviated from Inbound Logistics Dec. 2008.